Acceptance Perth is an autonomous group of Catholics who gather for spiritual support, pastoral care and fellowship. We accept the gifts of all who join us and we do not judge or discriminate or encourage a person to change their sexuality or gender.
As Pope Francis said, “If a person is gay and seeks out the Lord and is willing, who am I to judge that person?”
He continued on in his book, The Name of God is Mercy, “I was paraphrasing by heart the Catechism of the Catholic Church where it says that these people should be treated with delicacy and not be marginalized.”
Acceptance Perth actively seeks to embody the principles of the Catholic tradition of the dignity of the human person just as God made us and equality for all including gender and sexually diverse people.
We follow The Catechism of the Catholic Church where it states (# 2358): [Homosexual people] do not choose their homosexual condition… They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.
Many well-respected theologians and spiritual guides including priests, religious and lay people have spoken openly about the church needing to be more welcoming and open to lesbian, gay, bisexual, non-binary, and transgender folks.
An example of this is Sr Ilia Delio who is a Franciscan Sister with doctoral degrees in both science and theology. She wrote in her book, Birth of a Dancing Star:
“A church grounded in the core reality of God’s love must be a church living from the centre of that love, which is why the church can survive into the future only if it opens wide its doors to all those it currently excludes: women, laity, gay, non-binary, transgendered, divorced, and remarried… Love does not fixate on doctrines and canon laws, but is “patient and kind,” as St. Paul wrote.”
Sources:
https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-explains-who-am-i-judge
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